THE POULTRY INDUSTRY

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1872, 4 October 1913, Page 15

THE POULTRY INDUSTRY

Answers to Correspondents. "Silver Wyandotte," Wanganiii: It is quite a common result to obtain a white chick from Silvor Wyandotte ,eggs. Such a result is termed a "sport," and is caused through a • throw-back from tho original stock. Be careful in your judgment. I onco rcceivod a very scathing letter from , a oustomer because white rock oliicks were slaty in colour, and black orpington chicks had white feathers. In both instanc»s they were natural to tho chicks. \ "Co-operation," Lower. Hutt: YeS, I strongly support co-operation among poiiltrymen, but I consider it is better to make use 1 of the services, of a reliable agent to sell on commission than to rely altogether on the manager of a company. If co-operation is to.be a success as a limited liability company, a good manager, at a good salary is a necessity.' A manager at a small salary, and taken on because he is cheap, is often false economy. Use caution, or you will repeat tho failures we hsve already witnossed from similar ventures. I am not against co-operation but against tho slipshod methods which ono sometimes sees.. ■ Another Sst-bach. It is tO:be regretted that the embargo has boon removed from Section 30 of tho Pure Food Act. The Act was considered of great value-to the industry, as it compelled pastry-cooks to presrvo good eggs for winter use, iri l place of importing other eggs in dried form from foreign sources. A southern firm is rejoicing over the amendment, as it states that "it will he the means of reducing the price of fresh eggs." This is not much solace to tho poultryman.' Thousands of pounds have been Bpent to build up the industry in tho Dominion, and to encourage small farmers to keep poultry and here in the- other hand wo have a cause which will "mako eggs cheap." Poultrymen have been very patient while' the price of other commodities, bacon, butter, etc., have risen during tho past ten years, but eggs have not dona so. Corn and sharps are dear, but the producer gets nothing extra. The protection afforded the industry by the Pure Food Act was considered a wise step. North Island Neads. . It is also to be regretted the Moumahaki poultry branch was closed. What is the result now? This season hundreds of poultry-breodors havo had to send south for their stock. have sent to Milton for birds costing 10s., but, by the time they reach North Island centres the charges havo in somo instances amounted to nearly a pound, making the bird expensive to the purchaser. Ruakura is too small a plant to supply the demands, so that, for this reason, Monohaki should havo been retained. . \ Off to Mlssourj. By the steamer leaving for San Francisco noxt Friday six teams of. New Zealand white leghorns will leave for Missouri to compete in the competition to ,bo held their next yoar. It is a sign of tho public-spiritedness of our breedars that they are .willing to make such a venture. Tho following are the competitors:—W. Maßcfield, Auckland; A. G. Mumby,' Wellington; H. Leger, Lovin; A. R. Browno, - Napier ; R. O. Jarrett Masterton; J. W. Green. Ohristcmtrch. .Every poultryman will wish the comjMtitors success,.and. it is to bo hoped that the.New Zealand birds will uphold-their reputation as layers. The competitors can rely on some solid business from America should tho returns be anything like what similar birds have done in Now Zsaland. Methods of Ghlck-F«edlng. Most of eur hi? poultry-brocders— and small ones, tee, for that matter adopt the simplest forms of chickcnfccding, and. with vorv satisfactory results. Method of chick-feeding is a quostion that has been gone into very closely by Professor James K Rice, of the Cornell, U.S.A., University Agrrcultural Experiment Station, who is recognised as one of tho foremost poultry investigators. As a result of his experiments ho arrived at tho following conclusion: — ' "Tho experiments sliowea clearly tint the feeding of, both cracked and ground grain was more desirable than the feedimg of either alone. While tho chicks 'that were given a moist mash with grain grew more -rapidly than did those that were reared on dry food, and- the combs of the maloa developed earlier, it has not been proved that the chicks having the moist mash would havo been any larger or better as mature fowls. Moreover, the_ expense of extra labour mn.kes the rearing more costly, even though- equal numbers of cliioks are reared by the two methods. In these experiments, however, the flocks having the moist mash ration (with cracked grain} has less mortality than did tho comparison flocks." A combination of two systems has been used with excellent success. The rations adopted are as follow:—• Mixture No. 1: 81b. rolled'oats, 8!b. breadcrumbs ot cracker waste, 21b. sifted beef-scrap (best grade), lib. bonemeal. . Mixturo No. 2: 31b. wheat (cracked), 21b. cracked maiio (fine), lib. pinhead oatmeal. ■ , ■ M/ixture No. 3: 31b. whent-brara, 3 b; maize-meal, 31b. wheat middlings, 31b. beef-scrap (best grade), lib. bone-meal. Mixture No. 4: 31b. wheat (whole), 2lh. erackerl maize, lib. bulled oats. Mixture No. 5: 31b. wheat, 81b. crooked m&izo. Here meat meal would represent the beef scrap, and pollard be equivalont to middlings. The method of feeding these rations follow:— ■ One to five days: Mixture No. 1, moistened with sour skimmed milk, fed five times a day; mixture No. 2 in shallow tray containing "a little of No. 3 (dry) always before chicks'. Shredded green, food* and fine grit and charcoal scattered over food. , Five days to- two weeks: No. 2 in light litter twice a day; No. 3 moistened with sour skimmed milk, fed three times a day; No. 3 (dry) always availTwo te four weeks: As above, except that tho moist mash (is given twice a day.Four to six weeks (or until chicks aro on range); Reduce meals of moist mash to ono a day; mixturo No. 4 in litter twice a day;.dry mash always avnilablo. • Six works te maturity: No. 3 nna No. 5 hopper-fed. One meal a day of moist mash if it is desired to hasten dovelopment. _ . Professor Rreo gives the following further directions: — Provide fine grit, charcoal, shell, and bone from the start. Give grass rango or plenty of green food. Have fresh, clean water always available. Feed only sweet wholesoirio foods. Avoid damp and soiled litter. Disinfect brooders frequently. _ Test all her-f-scrap before feeding. _ Keep chickens active by allowing them to become hungrV once daily. Fesd moist mnsh sparingly. Keep dry masli always befsro the chicks. This ration gives goad growth' for tho first few wteks, until cockerels and culls may be placed in fattening-pens. It requires close nmonal attestion of 1 the attendant until tho chicks aro, in a | measure, ablo te take care of themselves. After that time they will thrive with somewhat less exacting consideraI tion. Tho moist mash may bo disoon-

tinned after fivo or six weeks, when tho chicks aro on tho rango. ■ If it is desired' to force tho maturity of latehatched chicks, hho moist mash may be continued longer. In any caso nil occasional feeding of moist mash scorns to be desirable as a Btimulant to the appetite of tho chicks.